Indian airline IndiGo cancels over 300 flights: Find out the reasons

Days after the Airbus tragedy that grounded around 6000 aircraft, India's largest and most affordable airline, IndiGo, has cancelled over 300 flights since Tuesday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across the country.

Grappling with a significant crisis, the busiest airports, including those in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, have been the hardest hit.

Why India's IndiGo is cancelling flights? 

The Indian airline attributed the flight suspensions to a combination of technical glitches, adverse weather conditions, and new crew rostering rules.

Shared videos on social media, frustrated passengers took to X (formerly Twitter) to raise their complaints.

To stabilise operations, IndiGo announced "calibrated adjustments" to its flight schedule until Friday, with reports indicating that on Thursday morning alone, 33 flights were cancelled at Delhi, 85 at Mumbai, and 73 at Bengaluru.

IndiGo provided a standard reply, stating, "Our operations are dependent on several factors, some of which are beyond our control and may impact the schedule."

India's aviation regulatory body is investigating the situation and has requested an explanation for the cancellations.

IndiGo has been facing pilot and crew shortages since November 1 due to new Flight Duty Time Limit rules, with the Federation of Indian Pilots arguing that the cancellations cannot be solely attributed to these changes, as other airlines are also largely unaffected.